1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to disk drive suspensions of the type having a load beam and flexure combination for supporting a read-write head carrying slider in operating proximity to a disk. In such suspensions a flexible circuit electrical connector may be used to form the electrical connection between the slider and the read-write circuitry beyond the load beam. While a typical flexible circuit connector comprises multiple conductors within an insulating encapsulant, in the present invention the multiple conductors within the resin encapsulant are referred to as a conductive layer, and this conductive layer is laminated to a metal base layer, typically a stainless steel band that may be attached to the flexible circuit to add body to the flexible circuit and for other purposes. The metal band-laminated flexible circuit will be referred to herein as a laminated flexible circuit or laminated flexible circuit connector when a distinction is being made from flexible circuit having no laminated base layer.
2. Related Art
Flexible circuit electrical connector has been supported on load beam-flexure combinations by adhesive attachment at distributed locations. The use of adhesives in electronic assembly is sometimes problematical, however, as outgassing of resin constituents may occur in use with adverse effects on operation of the device incorporating the assembly. Flexible circuit laminated with stainless backing is known and used in suspensions in circumstances where the greater stiffness of the laminate is acceptable. Such laminates have been fixed in place with adhesives, also, and thus there remains the need to provide suspensions that are capable of being welded in place, i.e. held without the use of adhesives, when using flexible circuit type conductors.